


Reflections on the storm of blood

by handelgamer



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Drabble, Gen, Introspection, short fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-27
Updated: 2019-06-27
Packaged: 2020-05-20 22:37:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19385977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/handelgamer/pseuds/handelgamer
Summary: One Warrior's thoughts, musings and conversations on the locations, and feelings stirred up by the passing storm.





	Reflections on the storm of blood

There was a quiet melancholy over the Fringes that drew Syngigeim in. Her first impression beyond the Castrum being of a land haunted by war. Of Magitek strewn and burning. An abandoned settlement, she should have recognized the Gridanian name. A magnificent tree, poisoned. Castrums abandoned. Temples to Rhalgr already ruined by the king who lived before. These lands cried out in pain, and it would take time to soothe their wounds. Time beyond her own life. But where there is life, there is cause to hope.

* * *

 

_Oh come ye wayward brothers_

_Bereft of hearth and home_

_Beneath yon burning star there lies_

_A haven for the bold_

 

Syngigeim found herself often muttering the anthem under her breath when visiting Rhalgar’s Reach. It was a war camp, an Ironworks base, a tradesman’s place to market. Twas not a place for people like her to linger overly long at. But the joy she felt here was palatable, the energy, electrified as the patron that was worshiped here.

 

Not her place, but one she would always be welcomed by the campfire for, to share a drink and a tale. And that was enough.

* * *

 

It was a profession she stumbled upon, somewhat literally. For what hero could resist the call of a girl in need?

 

For above all else, she dreamed of being the hero in her stories. The books Mariko sent were all tales of darring do and wondrous adventurers to exotic locations. She never believed that would be her.

 

And yet, twas not for fame or fortune that she became who she was. No. The reason she picked up a sword was that she was tired and angry. Anger at the Garleans who kept threatening her home. Anger at the Ascians for attempting their wicked ways. Angry and sick and tired of simply being the one who had to mend hurts.

 

Angry enough, to assist in revolution. To say no.

 

Anger was a much more potent force than she realized. One she would keep close and use to demand justice.

* * *

 

A port of danger, she thought. Strange and exotic. Where every word needed to be carefully scrutinized, lest the Garleans overhear. Where the only place that was Eorzean was the business of a merchant prince she despised. A necessary evil, she thought.

 

Still, there were charms. Oft did she and Krile discuss both the mysteries of Eureka and her own adventurers over tea. Many a time did her companions in the League came to do some shopping together, and haggle over the foods, clothing and other sundries all Free Companies required.

 

And the theatre! A glance into the arts that were hidden from her when she grew up. Sure there were simple plays at Starlight time but none as spectacular as what she found within the halls of Kugane and within the Prima Vista.

 

To say nothing of the knowledge and the opportunity to meet those from Garlamald that weren’t warring jerks, well outside of Cid, of course. But he had his interests in technology, something only Cecetu was truly adept at. No, theatre people were quite interesting to talk to and to learn from, and she read as much as she could from the plays and other fine books stored within.

 

At some point she would have to co-write some sort of play with Mariko. Some day soon.

* * *

 

Every child of Limsa Lominsa learned quick both to love to sea, and to have caution around it. She herself was once claimed by their waves once, when she attempted to rescue Mariko from them. Both needed saving that day. She always found it fascinating that such a person with a learned apprehension of water still liked to fish so much more.

 

But now they both had a rare blessing. And what a blessing it was, to get what aquatic ingredients for food she might need by herself. And there was the beauty as well. She liked being on a ship and being able to see blue for yalms around but now, now she could see the beauty hidden within the depths as well.

 

Swimming was just so wondrous and soothing. She’d have to make another trip to the Ruby Sea sometime soon.

* * *

 

She had thought little of the villainess who broke Doma. Who inflicted suffering and pain of the worst sort on it’s peoples. She was not the hero who braved the castle, that was Arashi and Mariko’s doing. Not her fight..

 

She only briefly met Tsuyu, her optimism and childlike wonder seemingly irreconcilable with the woman she witnessed before. Only had the briefest glimpse before treachery stole her away.

 

Syngigeim only witnessed such personal pain once, when she briefly visited Mariko that one summer season. He confided to her that the only reason he managed to survive was because of her. That when they tried to take his connection to her, he fled into the night. She was his lifeline.

 

Yotsuyu only had a brief moment of kindness in her life before it was snatched away. Her light, stolen and taken into deep darkness.

 

How very strange that one could look a the moon and see a kind light of a everloving goddess and yet, to another, it’d be the cold light of an everwatching shadow.

 

There were many cracks within Syngigeim’s heart. She was just another and surely it wasn’t the deepest cut.

 

_A heart bleeds, a man weeps, a soul burns. Thence comes the darkness, to consume._

* * *

 

Dough, rolled out. Meat, already browned and ready for cooking. Cabbage, finely chopped and ready to add that texture. Onions, for that lovely added taste. Now to just set the pan out over the fire and let it bake. Turn both sides after a bit of time passed and viola! A meat pie shaped in the form of a dzo. Of the many things the Mol taught her, that is what she has treasured most of all. For what is one of the joys of travel, than to share dishes among all?

* * *

 

“Higiri! It’s good to see you again,” Syngigeim said to the woman behind the counter.

 

“Oh Syngigeim! Tis good to see you as well! How fares the Scions?”

 

On that Syngigeim’s mood shifted. “Still slumbering, I’m afraid. Hoary, Coultenet and the others swear that it’ll be just a little bit longer until the beacon is found.”

 

“On that it seems we can only wait and pray. How about something to eat before you go?”

 

“That would be excellent, thank you.”

 

To Syngigeim’s surprise, however, Higiri seemed to pull out a loaf of bread from underneath the counter. She then rushed to a small cooled container and brought back milk and some eggs. _Is she making La Noscean Toast?_

 

Noticing Syngigeim’s mild surprise, Higiri had a slight smile on her face as she pan-fried a slice of bread in milk and eggy mixture. “I do not quite have the resources to get that syurp again but even as is, this dish has had a small success within the Enclave.” Smiling triumphantly, Higiri dished out the toast for Syngigeim.

 

She smiled. “Paying me back with the first dish I taught you?”

 

“I could think of no better way to do so,” Higiri said, returning Syngigeim’s smile with hers.

* * *

 

“Hey, maybe today I’ll let you win!” Syngigeim said, grinning tauntingly at Umber Torrent. He just gave her a challenging smile. He had the first move so Syngigeim waited as he - fool and idiot placed Aymeric right up in the top center. That open five was easily claimed by her Hilda card. _Ah, how would the lass take him I wo- better not think of it like that, nope._

 

It was the only card she stole from him, but it was the only one needed. “Oh you need to stop doing that Umber! Such simple mistakes,” she tutted.

 

“Hey, I never said I was the best at Triad. Not everyone can go and get all the fanciest cards around,” he responded. Just to prove his point right, Syngigeim dramatically shuffled all of her cards between her hands. He chuckled at that. “Ah to be an adventurer, free and able to duel whenever you please.”

 

“Tis not all games,” she said, with a saddened air to her. Just a few malms away, she knew the battlefield lay. Absolutely everyone from her Free Company was banned from attempting to rejoin the fight, even those who did not suffer from the mysterious voice. As madding for her as is was, she could accept it, as she was going to be traveling someone very different soon. She could not say the same for those who had to remain. Cecetu and Percy were a stubborn team of wills and somewhat jokingly (and somewhat not) she was wondering if a full team from the Alliance would need to hold them back. For it certainly wasn’t going to be their companions Dreaming Sheep and Chotan. Chotan who, in his beginning friendship with Cecetu, wasn’t going to make harsh demands of her and Dreaming Sheep...well, he was focused on helping find a counter for Black Rose.

 

And just the thought of Black Rose made Syngigeim’s heart sink. Sure Alphinaud...well he did neutralize that issue, right? And the Alliance was doing what it could, right?

 

Umber Torrent looked at Syngigeim and her pensive looks toward the north and said “Hey now, my father said, what will come will come, so focus on what you can do. As for me, I’ve got these wenches to observe.”

 

Syngigeim nodded, watching Umber Torrent...step a few more paces away and observe the doings of wenches and the people who worked them. She nervously shuffled her deck some more. Triad could never completely ease her worries and victories would fade. Nevertheless, the people she met along the way were joys she could not replace.

* * *

 

Syngigeim smiled at the breaking of morning light in the Royal Menagerie. That always seemed to be the time when she visited. It was welcome. Twas not the time in the afternoon, where she could hear his voice mock and cajole here. It was a time she could rejoice and sing what she knew of the Ala Mhigan anthem.

 

_Though storms of clouds surround thee_

_Hells open, heavens weap_

_No goodly soul need ever fear_

_The measure of his reach_

 

She did not sing it for Ala Mhigo’s sake. It was not her home. She sang it with joy in her heart for those that did call it home.

 

It was a reminder of no matter what else she did as the Warrior of Light, she brought good into the world. And above all, that is what Syngigeim strove to do.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Well I was going to add pictures to these buuuuuuuuuuut I guess I needed to upload them elsewhere and ehhhhhhhhhhhhh.
> 
> Anyway, I wrote this last night after a flurry of gatherings screenshots saying farewell to Stormblood and THIS HAPPENED I GUESS.


End file.
